Why Alonso and Hamilton need each other

Bitter rivals for years, Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton need each other more than ever now if they want to catch Sebastian Vettel. Jonathan Noble explains why

Never before have Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton needed each other like now. For if either man is going to turn their slim hopes of beating Sebastian Vettel into an actual World Championship this year, then they know they'll need a lending hand.

The current deficits that both men have, with Hamilton 82 and Alonso 86 points behind Vettel, are big enough to effectively mean that if they battle alone then the championship is gone.